County Lines Digital Conference
(Ended 17th Jul 2024)

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Tackling county lines remains a prevalent issue across the UK. Children as young as six are coerced into being “runners” to transport drugs and weapons, with around 46,000 children in England alone thought to be involved in gangs.*

Westminster Insight’s popular County Lines Digital Conference will be a timely opportunity to discuss the next steps for tackling county lines and strengthening support for victims of child criminal exploitation. What are the emerging trends in child exploitation and what changes can we expect to see in policy and funding after the General Election?

County lines is a complex and multi-agency issue. From early intervention and prevention to effective victim support, gain insights on how to adopt a holistic approach to tackling county lines and carry forward the progress of initiatives such as the National County Lines Coordination Centre and County Lines Programme. How can we permanently break the cycle of this insidious crime?

With children and young people relying on social media, gaming platforms and live-streaming sites more than ever before, we will learn about initiatives and projects to tackle online exploitation and identify the victims who are groomed into drug running and county-lines activities. We will spotlight how to keep up to date with evolving exploitation strategies used in county lines, and hear about the new Online Safety Act and the implications for safeguarding.

Through lived experience, learn how to improve victim support and adopt a trauma-informed approach when supporting victims of child criminal exploitation.

Expert speakers from across policing, education and the third sector, will share best practice and provide examples of effective multi-agency collaboration. Bringing together colleagues from across the UK, don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn, collaborate, and strengthen your approach to tackling county lines activity.

*The Children’s Society

Sessions include

• Next steps following The County Lines Programme
• Detecting early signs of county lines involvement in young people
• Safeguarding young people and raising awareness of the dangers posed by county lines
• Understanding social media’s role in county lines: keeping up to date with county lines exploitation strategies
• Overcoming barriers to multi-agency collaboration
• Adopting trauma-informed approaches to supporting young people who have been exploited through county lines

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